Arch support



Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES WILLIAM M. SCHOLL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ARCI-I SUPPORT Application led February 15, 1926.

The invention relates to improvements in arch supports.

One of the objects of the invention is to improve arch supports.

Another more specific object is to provide means associated with an arch support arranged and adapted to prevent said support from shifting laterally in a shoe.

Another object is to prevent the heel of the foot from sliding over and causing the shoe to run over to the outside, by curving the outer edge of the heel plate upwardly.

Another object is to protect the inner sole of the shoe from injury by the more or less rigid or metal brace plate or support by placing a leather piece between it and the shoe surface at each end of the support.

A further object is to provide lateral pros jections extending from said support which may be cut oit or trimmed, to a greater or lesser extentto fit a shoe, thereby to retain the support in a desired location. 0

The support structure has lateral projections or attached strips projecting from both sides of its front end and also from its rear end to an extent greater than will be required when the support is in use and which may be cut oft' so that the ends thereof will contact adjacent inner surfaces of the shoe to locate the support and to retain it in selected position within the shoe.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an arch support with lateral projections fixed thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 3 is a reverse side elevation, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line IV-IV of Figure l.

In all the views the same reference characters indicate similar parts.

As shown on the drawings:

In the particular embodiment shown in the drawings, 5 is a relatively rigid plate with respect to the laterally projecting parts 10 and 12 which are preferably leather.

The plate 5 is more or less resilient, as in arch supports, and it may take any desired form wherein it is desirable to locate and retain a specific part thereof in place with respect to an especial part of the foot.

Serial No. 88,184.

In the structure shown, the elevation or protuberance 8 is intended to be located under and to support the metatarsal bones yof the foot. The apex, or central region 9 of 8 may be made to underlie any one of the metatarsal neighbors, and to do this the forepart of t-he plate 5 must be shifted laterally in the shoe.

To hold the ,plate 5 in a desired positionfin the shoe and to prevent its lateral and axial movement therein, when being Worn is one of the objects of the invention.

A strip of sole leather 10 is'secured to the plate 5, asby rivets 11 and is extended laterally on both sides to an extent greater than the widest shoe. It may have spaced lines ai, Z), c and d indicated by creases or other marks. n

YAssume that the structure shown in Figure l is for the left foot. If 10 be trimmed on line a on the left side this will cause 10 to be shifted and held closer to the left side of the shoe and conversely if the piece 10 be trimmed or cut away at line a on the right hand side, this will permit 9 to be located near or under the firstmctatarsal of the left foot. In like manner 10 may be cut away to any desired extent on either or both sides to lit it to the width of the particular shoe.

f The ends of the strip 10, when trimmed, lie against the inner surfaces of the shoe upper and prevent 5 from shifting.

' By this means, anyone who buys a pair of arch supportswith this improvement will be enabled to locate the support and cut the sides of the strip 10 to lit the shoe.

If the support be laid upon ythe bottom of the shoe sole the lines a, b, 0 or Z'where 10 should be cut away may easily and accurately be ascertained.

To prevent the rear end ofthe support from shifting laterally I may `place another strip 12, fastened thereto as by rivets 13 and which may be cut away in the same manner'and for the saine purpose. The front edge or strip 10 may be cut away also to prevent longitudinal shifting of the support Within the shoe.

Other features of importance in thev construction ofthe improved arch support is effected by turning up the front edge of 5, as at 14, to prevent the raw edge of 10 from cutting into the leather. This is especially of value in the so-called high heel shoes in which the rear end 15 would be elevated more than this front end.

The metal plate 5 is curved upwardly at 16, like a spoon, to receive the heel and to prevent the heel from sliding over or outwardly and thus causing the shoe from run ning over.

The leather pieces 10` Iand 12 are 'placed under the plate 5 and protect the shoefrom contact with the metal plate at its bottomand side surfaces. In fact the metal plate is no. where in contact with the shoe.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction maybe varied through a wide range wit-hout departing from the principles of this invention and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

v 1. An arch support comprising a metallic plate having a spoon-shaped portion at its rear end to provide a seat for the heel of the wearer, a centrally positioned curved protuberance formed in the forward porti-on of the plate to support the metatarsal bones of the foot, a laterally extending leather strip secured to the plate and positioned beneath it and near the rear end thereof, a second leather strip secured to the plate and positioned beneath it and extending beyond the plate on its laterial Vand forward edges, the said leather strips forming means to selectively position the central region of the curved protuberance of the plate, and to maintain the plate in spaced relation to the bottom and inner side surfaces of the shoe.

2. An arch support adapted for use with high-heeled shoes comprising a metallic plate having a spoon-shaped rear portion to provide a seat for the heel of the wearer, a centrally positioned curved `protuberance formed in the forward portion of the plate to support the metatarsal bones of the foot, a leather strip positioned beneath the plate and secured thereto, the strip extending beyond the lateral and forward edges of the kplate and forming means whereby the central region of the protuberance may be selectively positioned under the foot7 and upturned lip means formed on the forward edge 0f the plate to prevent the plate from gouging into the leather.

In testimony vwhereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIAM M. SCHOLL. 

